The Atlanta Braves designated Bartolo Colon for assignment on Thursday. While it’s fair to wonder if he’s thrown his last MLB pitch, a former team is considering a reunion.
According to David Lennon of Newsday, the New York Mets are considering bringing Colon back.
With Colon DFA, #Mets will discuss a potential reunion with Big Sexy, according to sources. Seems a low-cost, potentially high-reward move.
— David Lennon (@DPLennon) June 29, 2017
Does this make sense? Well, that’s in the eye of the beholder. But here’s a basic guide.
The first question is do you think New York has a realistic chance at a playoff spot? Right now, the standings would indicate that they don’t. The Mets are double-digit games out of both the NL East lead, and the second NL Wild Card spot. In both cases, New York has multiple teams to jump. If you think reaching the postseason is plausible, a reunion with Colon makes sense if you think he can significantly turn around an 8.14 ERA and 1.778 WHIP.
If you think the playoffs are a non-possibility for New York, this boils down to a simple question.Do you think that the Mets should call Tim Tebow to their Major League roster in September?
If you answered yes, then a reunion with Colon also makes sense. Colon is popular with the fans and will help sell tickets for a team that’s not likely to be involved in any playoff race through the second half. Tebow would have pretty much the same impact.
If you don’t think Tebow belongs in the majors, then you probably don’t think a Colon reunion makes sense, either.
Even if Colon comes in and pitches well for New York, it’s important to note that he’s 44. Generally speaking, the end of the year is a good time for non-contending teams to work out young players who might be integral to the team’s future. At the very least, the teams can find out if the youngsters aren’t any good.
Colon doesn’t have much of a future with the Mets, or any MLB team — not unlike Tebow.
From a pure entertainment standpoint, both men might be worth it. There’s not a heck of a lot to lose. But from a pure baseball point of view, it’s hard to justify. Looking just at the field, there’s not a heck of a lot to gain, either.